1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable assembly, and particularly to a cable assembly having a plurality of circuit boards for high speed signal transmission.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of communication and computer technology, high density electrical connectors are desired to construct a large number of signal transmitting paths between two electronic devices. Each of these electrical connectors provides a plurality of circuit boards to thereby achieve improved signal transmission of different electrical characteristics through the connector. Such high density electrical connectors, such as cable assemblies, are widely used in internal connecting systems of severs, routers and the like requiring high speed data processing and communication.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,364, issued to Miskin et al., discloses a cable assembly including an insulating housing formed by a pair of substantially identical housing halves and an electrical cable with a plurality of wires terminated to conductive terminals overmolded in a plurality of thin flat wafers. The housing halves combines to define an interior cavity having a front opening and a rear opening. The wafers are closely juxtaposed in a parallel array and are positioned within the interior cavity of one of the housing halves such that the cable projects out of the rear opening of the cavity. The other housing half is then to completely enclose the cable and wafer subassembly. However, the cable and wafer subassembly are retained in the housing by securing the housing halves together through bolts and nuts, thereby complicating the assemblage of the cable assembly. Furthermore, an engagement of the housing halves is easy to become loose due to vibration during the transportation and other matters, whereby the cable and the wafer subassembly cannot be stably retained in the housing. Thus, an electrical connection is adversely affected between the cable assembly and a complementary connector.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,924,899 and 6,102,747, both issued to Paagman, each disclose a cable assembly. Referring to FIGS. 4a-4c and 5a-5c of the ""899 patent, the cable assembly includes an insulating housing with a plurality of parallel slots defined therein and a plurality of modules received in the slots of the housing. Each module includes a circuit substrate, a receptacle carrier having a plurality of fork contacts at one end of the substrate and an insulation displacement contact (IDC) carrier at the other end of the substrate opposite the terminal carrier. The insulation displacement carrier has insulation displacement contacts connecting with conductors of corresponding cables. The modules each are retained in the housing through an interference fit with the housing. When the cable assembly is required to disengage from a complementary connector, a pulling force is exerted on an exposed end of the cable for releasing the engagement between the cable assembly and the complementary connector. However, the modules may be pulled back with regard to the housing, thereby adversely affecting an electrical engagement when the cable assembly mates with the complementary connector again. Furthermore, an additional device is employed to bond the cables together, thereby increasing the cost of the production.
Hence, an improved cable assembly is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly having strain relief means for substantially resisting a pulling force exerted on a cable thereof.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly having a plurality of individual circuit boards reliably retained in an insulating housing thereof.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly having a grounding plate for reducing crosstalk between adjacent cables thereof.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, a cable assembly includes an insulating housing defining a number of parallel channels extending in a first direction of the housing and a number of circuit modules received in the housing. Each circuit module includes a circuit board received in a corresponding channel of the housing, a number of cables mechanically and electrically connecting with the circuit board, a metallic grounding plate attached to a surface of the circuit board and a cable clamp bonding the cables together. The cable clamp defines at least one through hole extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction of the housing. A fastening element is inserted into the through holes of the cable clamps along the second direction and the cable clamps of the circuit module are stringed by the fastening element.